Georgia lawmaker tries to shield officers from 'sovereign citizen' harassment
Tim Shaw, a police chief in Temple, Ga., remembers well his run-in with a "sovereign citizen."
The individual, part of a movement that claims the laws of the land do not apply to them, started harassing him about a year ago, following a traffic stop by one of his officers.
The individual began sending a string of bizarre legal documents demanding more than $800,000. Shaw then received a set of driving directions -- from his harasser's house to his house, and to his parent's house in Florida.
"He was trying to extort over $800,000 out of me," Shaw said.
Thankfully for the chief, the suspect was foolish enough to threaten him. Shaw obtained a protective order, and the matter was resolved.
But the "sovereign citizens" movement has started to hassle other officials in the state and beyond. And one Georgia lawmaker is trying to change the law to address the problem.
State Rep. B.J. Pak is pushing a bill aimed directly at a favorite tactic of sovereign citizens -- filing false liens, similar to what happened to Shaw.
Pak's bill, which has passed out of committee, would call for up to 10 years imprisonment for filing such a false lien.
The FBI considers sovereign citizens to be "extremists," with their offenses ranging from the minor to the severe -- like the 2010 killing of two police officers in Arkansas during a routine traffic stop. The FBI has listed movement efforts in California Missouri, Nevada, Michigan and New Hamsphire, among others.
The movement preaches an off-the-grid lifestyle, though not necessarily a violent one. The Sovereign Citizenship Network website describes the movement as the "non-violent solution to the government problem."
The group urges Americans to "unsubscribe from the system" and "sever yourself from the government" in order to become "the king of your own private domains" -- offering tips on how to deal with pesky infringements by the state like traffic court.
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The individual, part of a movement that claims the laws of the land do not apply to them, started harassing him about a year ago, following a traffic stop by one of his officers.
The individual began sending a string of bizarre legal documents demanding more than $800,000. Shaw then received a set of driving directions -- from his harasser's house to his house, and to his parent's house in Florida.
"He was trying to extort over $800,000 out of me," Shaw said.
Thankfully for the chief, the suspect was foolish enough to threaten him. Shaw obtained a protective order, and the matter was resolved.
But the "sovereign citizens" movement has started to hassle other officials in the state and beyond. And one Georgia lawmaker is trying to change the law to address the problem.
State Rep. B.J. Pak is pushing a bill aimed directly at a favorite tactic of sovereign citizens -- filing false liens, similar to what happened to Shaw.
Pak's bill, which has passed out of committee, would call for up to 10 years imprisonment for filing such a false lien.
The FBI considers sovereign citizens to be "extremists," with their offenses ranging from the minor to the severe -- like the 2010 killing of two police officers in Arkansas during a routine traffic stop. The FBI has listed movement efforts in California Missouri, Nevada, Michigan and New Hamsphire, among others.
The movement preaches an off-the-grid lifestyle, though not necessarily a violent one. The Sovereign Citizenship Network website describes the movement as the "non-violent solution to the government problem."
The group urges Americans to "unsubscribe from the system" and "sever yourself from the government" in order to become "the king of your own private domains" -- offering tips on how to deal with pesky infringements by the state like traffic court.
Read more
